A Normal Life
by Jinx
Summary: A Max/Normal friendship story.


Disclaimer: Not mine, none of them. Belongs to Cameron etc. Please don't sue.

Authors Note: Okay please don't freak out but this is a Max/Normal friendship story. Just curious to see if I can write a realistic one. You have been WARNED so don't leave traumatised reviews alright?

A NORMAL LIFE

Max rode her cycle down the ramp into the Jam Pony entrance. "Hey Boo!" She called to Original Cindy.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?" Max shrugged and parked her bike, heading over to her locker. 

"Nothing much, you know. How's your new lickety boo?" Max grinned wickedly at Original Cindy who grimaced.

"Get this sugar, Baby says she decided she don't swing that way no more! Says it was experimentation and now she's straighter than a dammed plank o' wood!" Clearly disgusted at this turn of events she slumped against the dented row of lockers. Max looked sympathetically at her despondent friend. This had been the first girlfriend Original Cindy had had since Diamonds death and Max had really hoped it would get her back into the dating scene again.

"I'm really sorry Cind. You wanna hang at Crash tonight, drink it up some?" Max offered. Original Cindy perked up a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? I thought you'd be hanging with roller boy tonight." Max shook her head. 

"I think spending time with my homegirl when she's down is more important than a free meal." Max joked.

"Aiight. Catch you there 'bout 9?" Max nodded smiling at seeing her best friend cheer up some. 

"Hey! Hot run to Transere Street!" A package came flying over the girls heads to land in Original Cindy's hands. She shook her head at the annoying voice. "Bip bip bip!" Sighing Original Cindy headed out the door.

"Max! You work here or not? I got a package for you too." Max ambled over to where Normal was standing looking at the addresses on his clip board.

Leaning on the counter she casually addressed him. "You know Normal, one of these days everyone of us is just gonna tell you to get stuffed and quit. Then where will you be with all these packages and no one to deliver them?"

Not looking up Normal responded in his usual deadpan fashion. "Emotionally ecstatic and relieved to get rid of you deadbeat bums. Here," he handed her a parcel, "signed delivery to Harling Way. Get out of my sight." He flapped his hand in dismissal, engrossed in his paperwork.

Max rolled her eyes and shoved the box into her backpack and headed back to her bike. She hadn't really been feeling that well today and wasn't up to continuing the verbal sparring with her boss. Last night she had a pretty bad seizure and still felt a bit headachy as result. _Damned implant, _ she thought resentfully. 

The run wasn't far but it was getting late and by the time Max returned to Jam Pony there was only 10 minutes left on the clock before she was free to leave for the day. Her headache had got steadily worse during the run and Max was now having second thoughts about going to Crash tonight. _Shit, Original Cindy's really looking forward to it,_ Max thought guiltily. Her best friend had been great through all the crap that followed Max around. Red soldiers, Manticore, seizures and all the rest of the lot which came with being friends with a genetically enhanced prototype. The least Max felt she could do was be a shoulder to cry on when her honey broke it off. Max threw the receipt on the counter and turned wearily away to go to the changing room.

"Hey!" Normal called, "You didn't get the receipt signed!" Max frowned and went back to take a quick look at the paper. Sure enough, no signature. Max swore slightly under her breath.

"Look Normal, I don't feel so hot, alright. Cant you just forget about it this once?" Max asked feeling the pressure build up in her temples.

"No signature, no money. You know that. Here take this to Carlington." Normal pushed another package to Max.

"Fine forget the receipt, but I'm off the clock in 10 minutes and Carlington is on the other side of town. No way."

Finally Normal looked up from his work and fixed Max with his best /I'm in charge/ face. "Look Missy, you turned up almost half an hour late this morning and took an unauthorised long lunch break. So make this run or the one you didn't bother to get signed will have been your last." Normal gave her a hard look to make sure she didn't think he was kidding and went out back to sort through some more paperwork.

"Asshole." Max muttered, reluctantly picking up the package and heading for the door. You could only push Normal so far before he made good on his threats of firing. As crappy as this job was, it was low profile, paid enough to keep her fed and gave her opportunity to see her friends. Besides in the broken economy there really wasn't much else going.

Normal turned to watch Max leave the building. She really did look kind of pale and it wasn't like Max to forget to get the receipt signed. Normal frowned slightly wondering if maybe he should have let her off. _Oh well, she'll be alright._ Normal shrugged of his slight attack of conscience. Ever since Max and Original Cindy had saved him from those art thieves he had gone a bit easy on them. Lately though Max had been not turning up for work, leaving early and occasionally completely ignoring him. He had hired Max mainly because when she had applied he was low on staff after a few of his messengers had been busted for drug dealing. Max had shown up and proved that she knew the entire map of Seattle memorised, down to the side streets and numbers. It hadn't hurt that she was pretty easy on the eyes either. 

Normal remembered how she had looked sweeping out of the locker room dressed to kill in a sexy but tasteful red dress. Going somewhere with that rich guy who popped in every now and then. Trouble she may be, but even he was able to appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one. _Shame about the attitude_ he reflected, getting back to his work and putting all thoughts of Max out of his head.

It had been almost two hours since Max had left Jam Pony and everyone else had long since left to go home. Normal was just finishing up for the day and was about to lock up. Right now he was just waiting for Max to bring in the last receipt for the day. He checked his watch and scowled. _Where the fire truck is Max?_ Normally Max was one of the fastest riders and didn't even mind heading into the bad neighbourhoods. Carlington wasn't one of the safest places in Seattle and Normal felt a twinge of worry. _Max can take care of herself._ He reminded himself, but still she was just a kid and he wasn't completely immune to feelings. _Maybe she decided to blow off the run._ He thought realistically and annoyance replaced the fleeting concern. Sighing Normal removed his thick framed glasses and rubbed his hand tiredly over his face. "For the love of mike." He muttered, going out back again after deciding to just go home.

He heard the door open just then and Normal called out irritably "Well its about time young lady, some of us have homes to go to!" Normal walked out to the front and looked up to see Max push her bicycle down the ramp. There was a cut above her eye and she didn't look too happy or well. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked trying to keep a level of annoyance in his voice despite the sudden guilt.

"Can it Normal. I'm not in the mood!" Max snapped with as much force as her pounding head would allow. She threw the piece of paper at him and shoved the bike against the wall. Ignoring him Max stalked into the changing room. 

Normal looked at the sheet of paper, it was stained with a few drops of blood. He smoothed it out and went to file it appropriately. No point in beating himself up about something that couldn't be changed. He settled himself in a chair to wait for Max to finish up so he could lock the building.

Max changed into jeans and a black vest as quickly as she could, anxious to get home and rest. Her head was killing her and she was slightly worried about the effects the implant was having. Those guys trying to attack her had drained the last of her strength. There had only been 3 of them and yet one of them had actually managed to land a hit on her. True right now they were in much worse shape then her and she doubted they would ever be able to reproduce now, but it was disturbing that they had got close enough to touch her. She had phoned Original Cindy and cancelled meeting her, explaining about her head. Original Cindy had already been at Crash and had met up with a bisexual waitress so hadn't minded too much, instructing Max to go to bed and rest.

Max reached for her leather jacket when she felt a sharp twinge in the base of her neck. She tried to shake it off when the pain became acute. Her hand reflexively grabbed the site and she tried to remain standing. _I have to reach my pills_ she thought frantically. They were in her bag across the room. Right now that felt like miles away. Max's hands started shaking and her whole body was suddenly engulfed in seizures. Her knees gave way and Max slid to the floor, her back pressed against the wall as she submitted to the uncontrollable tremors that shook her body.

Normal looked impatiently at his watch, _how long does it take to get changed?_ He thought exasperated. Max had been in there for almost 30 minutes. Fed up he got up and walked over to the changing room. "Max? Come on!" There was no reply. "Max!" he yelled, "If your not out here in 2 minutes I'm going to lock up and just leave you in here!" He called warningly. Still not a sound. "Max?" This time Normal's voice was almost cautious as he recalled her pallor and head injury. "Max, I'm coming in, alright?" Normal pushed the door open and stepped into the women's changing room.

He saw nothing at first so he walked further into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. Max was leaning against the wall, holding her legs tightly against her body, shaking violently. "Max?" Normal asked, shocked at the sight. 

Max opened her closed eyes with effort and saw Normal blurrily before her. "My pills…" She murmured trying to summon the strength to tell him what she needed. Normal heard her ask for her pills and looked around the room wildly. _Is she on drugs? Medication? Is she sick? _

"I'm going to call an ambulance." He said starting to head out of the room.

"No!" Max managed to choke the word out in her fear. Normal turned back to her. Max looked pleadingly at him, "I ca - can't go to the host - pital…please" Max stuttered through the tremors. Normal looked at her, torn between helping her himself or just calling for help. The desperation in her eyes convinced him and he nodded.

The possibilities of why she refused an ambulance ran through his head as he searched for Max's bag. _There!_ He noticed a backpack lying across the room, apparently abandoned. Max closed her eyes in relief when she saw Normal find her bag and carry it over to her. He searched through it for a moment before pulling out the bottle of Tryptophan. He read the label and frowned in confusion. Kneeling beside her he opened the bottle and tipped some pills into his palm.

"Water. Do you need water?" Normal asked anxious, as her seizures increased in intensity. Max managed to shake her head and shakily took the pills from him and knocked them back. Normal supported the back of her head as she did so, scared by the violence of her convulsions. The pills just didn't work as well as they used to and Max was afraid Normal would change his mind and call an ambulance. Lydecker knew she was still in Seattle and had likely warned all hospitals to alert him if a case like this came in of a girl matching her description. Max took some more of the pills Normal held out to her. He was making nervous movements and Max sensed he was about to freak and call for help. 

"Norm -mal? I'm ok - ay." Max tried to reassure him, despite her own fear. "just need ti - time." Defeat appeared in Normal's eyes and he sank fully to the floor besides her. Max tentatively released one of her hands from its death grip on her leg and slid it trembling over to tightly grasp Normal's hand. She needed the comfort of human contact. He looked down in surprise and looked at Max, but her eyes were closed as she fought to regain control of her body. Normal returned the pressure of her hold carefully, assuring her he wouldn't leave. Despite the pain and fear caused by the seizure a small smile touched Max's lips, _of all the people to be saved by…_the humour didn't pass her by, even in this state.

Time passed as Normal fed Max her pills at intervals and she continued her battle against the betrayal of her body. Their hands never parted through the lengthy hour that Max seized for and nothing more was said about an ambulance.

Eventually the seizures lessened and eventually the convulsion trailed of to trembling and minor shaking. Normal let out a breath of relief. He had been seriously worried for a time, but the worst of it appeared to be over. Max was breathing heavily and was slumped against him exhausted by the effort of remaining conscious and fighting the seizures. "You alright?" Normal asked quietly. Max moved her head against him in an effort to nod.

"Yeah…" Max trailed off as she hovered in that place between awake and asleep. 

"Max?" Normal said questioningly. He felt her breathing even out as she slipped fully into sleep and her hand relaxed in his. Normal touched her cheek lightly and shifted her slightly to try and wake her up. Nothing. He sighed deeply. The floor was uncomfortable and he had no intention of sleeping here. However after everything he was reluctant to wake Max up. _Not that I probably could._ He acknowledged to himself. Nothing else for it, Normal manovered Max fully against his chest and slipped an arm under her slender knees. He lifted her slight weight easily and stood with her in his arms.

Normal carried her out into his office and placed her on a beaten couch in the corner. He went to his phone book and searched for Original Cindy's cell number. There was no reply so he went to the home number of Original Cindy and Max. Nothing again. Normal didn't even have their home address so he couldn't drive her home, besides which after those seizures Normal knew she shouldn't be left alone.

There was only one other option. Reflecting that it was fortunate he had brought a car recently while also lamenting his responsibility to the woman on the sofa, Normal went back to the sleeping Max. She had curled up uncomfortably on the broken springs of the cushions and looked decidedly sweet and childlike in her unguarded state. _Unlike when she's awake_ Normal thought comparing this Max to the mouthy, violently tendencied girl she was when awake.

Normal picked her up carefully and carried Max out to his car. He settled her in the passenger seat before going back to lock the building up. Max moaned slightly during the disturbance but otherwise did not awaken. 

After the drive Normal managed to get Max into his apartment and with no spare room he headed into his own bedroom. He placed Max on the bed, pulling some blankets over her and started to leave the room. He got as far as the door before sighing. _Might as well do the job properly,_ he thought returning to Max's side. Normal reached for her boots and untied them removing them gently from her small feet. Tucking them back under the covers he looked up at the sleeping girl. Her lips were slightly parted and a small frown marred her head as though she was having less than pleasant dreams. Normal resisted the urge to smooth away her frown and left the room, leaving the door ajar in case she suffered another seizure.

Normal looked into his refrigerator only to close it in disgust. He just wasn't hungry after the nights events. Normal went to get himself an antacid from his cupboard before setting up a makeshift bed on his sofa.

Stripping to his boxers and a grey t shirt Normal stretched out as much as he could on the small couch. Trying to relax he closed his eyes and willed sleep to come and take the image of Max, hurting and vulnerable from his mind.

Hours later a scream echoed through the dark apartment. Normal bolted upright and automatically stumbled to his feet trying to find the light switch in the dark. Confusion filled his mind as he tried to figure out who was crying out in his home. _Max!_ He remembered. Flicking on the light he hurried to his bedroom, expecting to see someone attacking her. Max was lying in the bed, tangled in the sheets. She was throwing her body about violently trying to get free. 

"Noooo!" She cried, knocking a hand out at Normal's gentle touch. He was amazed to find her having a nightmare and instinctively tried to calm her.

"Max, it me, Normal. Its alright, calm down before you break something!" He grasped her shoulders firmly and tried to still her thrashing.

"Zack?! Don't leave me here with him. Eva! No!" Tears fell from her tightly shut eyes and Normal felt reluctant empathy at the pain in her voice along with a rising confusion as he attempted to soothe the distraught woman. Stroking her dark hair back from face he whispered comforting words and phrases. Meaningless really but combined with the constant human touch seemed to reach her nightmare trapped mind. Whimpering slightly Max slowly stilled her movements. "Logan…?" sleepily the word fell from her lips as she related the comfort to the only man who had ever been there for her like this before.

__

Logan. Normal placed the name. _The rich guy. Wonder who Zack and Eva are?_ he pondered relieved that Max had finally calmed. Her features had relaxed and her breathing evened out as she slipped back into the security of a dreamless sleep. Normal sat there a few minutes more, his hands resting on her arms before he shook himself out of his speculatory musing. _Ohh I'm gonna feel this in the morning. Your going to owe me for this chicky._ Unused to such disturbed sleep Normal felt his usual cynical attitude try to reassert itself over his softening heart. He felt rather half hearted still though in his attempts to blame the now quiet Max.

"I knew this job wasn't worth the hassle of having a bunch of trouble making kids work under me." Normal grumbled under his breath to himself as he went back to his couch. "Now Missy, just try and stay asleep for the rest of the night would you?" He flopped back into his blankets and tried to get back to sleep.

Morning came and Max felt every muscle in her body with new clarity. "Ahhh" she groaned as she came fully aware_. Last time I felt this bad was after those seizures at Cape Haven._ Max suddenly realised the strangeness of the room she was sleeping in. _Where am I?_ Suddenly worried Max swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her headache had downgraded to a slight ache, but her muscles which had been stretched and overexerted in the seizure were almost painful. Max noticed her boots placed neatly next to the bed and frowning she retrieved them, lacing them rapidly in case she had to make a swift exit. The last thing she remembered was the start of the seizure in the locker room, _Was Normal there?_ She thought confused, her memory hazy.

Cautiously Max crept towards the slightly open door and listened for a moment. Some slight noises were coming from another room but nothing that sounded threatening. Finally deciding to just go out Max walked slowly and silently as trained to see who was in this place with her. _Normal! _ Max relaxed somewhat despite her surprise at seeing her boss with his back turned to her, padding around making himself breakfast. Standing up straight she stepped forward just as Normal turned around. 

"Jesus!" Normal yelped as he saw Max standing there. Holding tight to the plate he had nearly dropped he glared at Max, who tried to look innocent. "So your up are you? I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day. Here." Normal put the plate on the table and shoved it towards her. "Eat this." He turned back to his cooking efforts on the stove.

Max looked down at the scrambled egg he offered her in confusion. "Normal - what am I doing here?" She asked fed up and perplexed at the whole situation.

Normal didn't bother to look up from his task of making breakfast. "Well I couldn't exactly leave you alone at Jam Pony for the night after that fit or whatever it was you had, could I? But that reminds me, after you've eaten I'm going to want some straight answers out of you Missy, alright? So cut the chit chat and eat, don't you know how expensive eggs are in this economy?"

Max tried to assimilate the information that Normal had actually helped her and never one to turn down a free meal, sat down at the table to eat the eggs. _Wow. Id never have thought of Normal as someone I could count on. Looks like he must have taken care of me last night without any help, otherwise right now id be strapped down on a gurney and be staring at Lydeckers ugly face._ Max wasn't quite sure how to process this knowledge that the creep she worked for had taken care of her when she was at her most vulnerable. She felt kind of uncomfortable at the thought, only slightly consoled by the typical disregarded way Normal was speaking to her.

Normal sat down opposite her with his own eggs and the two ate their breakfast together in silence. Max finished first and made to stand up and leave. "Well, thanks for last night and everything Normal, but I gotta blaze." Max avoided eye contact with him as she started towards the front door.

"Wait just one minute there, you! I want to know what happened last night, most importantly why you wouldn't let me phone an ambulance when you could have died!" Normal dropped his fork and looked crossly at the trapped Max. She was chewing on her lip and looking for all the world like she wanted to disappear. "I put myself on the line for you and now I want an explanation!" Normal insisted upon the continued silence from Max. "bip, bip bip!"

Max looked Normal straight in the eye distressed at the choice of what to tell him. She could just leave without a word, but he was right. Against all odds the man had come through for her last night and now she owed him an explanation. Max walked slowly back to her seat and sighed heavily. Normal leaned back in his chair expectantly.

Damping her lips nervously Max tried to balance the truth with what was safe to know. "Look, the seizure I had last night was caused by a rare genetic disorder. It runs in my family. I…I ran away from home when I was nine." Max turned her gaze to the scarred table top. "It was a pretty bad situation back there with my dad…" Max trailed off. "He's a big gun in the military and he's been looking for me since then." Max looked up briefly at Normal "I was afraid that if I went to a hospital he would hear about it and find me." 

Normal kept his expression carefully blank as he listened to Max recount her past. She had always been somewhat nervous around hover drones and cops but he had assumed it was due to her usual fighting and the like. Besides no one was over fond of the police in the corrupt era they lived in. He swallowed hard. "What about your mom?" He asked.

Max's face took on a distant sad look. "My mom was placed in mental institution shortly after I was born. I never knew her and I don't know where she is now." Normal's glass obscured eyes showed that he was surprised and saddened by Max's tragic past. She had always seemed so together and confident, he hadn't guessed she hid so many raw emotional wounds beneath her tough attitude.

Remembering the nightmare Max had the night before he couldn't help asking. "Who are Zack and Eva?" Max looked up shocked at his mention of the names and Normal almost regretted asking. "You had a nightmare last night, you were calling their names." He explained. 

Max shook off her emotions and replied carefully. "My older brother and sister." Seeing the querying look on Normal's face she sighed and continued. "Eva…Eva's dead. My father killed her one night. It was before the pulse, but he has such an important position that no one could touch him." Max looked away. "It was after that Zack and I ran."

Normal inhaled sharply and shook his head. "Max - I had no idea. I'm sorry." Max's eyes were softened and dark as she recalled the night Lydecker had shot Eva dead before her.

"It was a long time ago." She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. Max tried to shake off the oppressive atmosphere and attempted a smile. "That's why it means so much to me that you didn't call an ambulance, if he ever found me…all I ever wanted was a normal life"

"He…used to hurt you… badly, didn't he? Before you ran I mean." Normal said, running a hand through his short bristly brown hair.

Max nodded once slowly. "They don't have a word for what he did to us." She whispered softly, the memories of the torture she and the others had endured at Lydeckers hands, running through her mind.

Normal's hands twitched at the wrenching pain in Max's voice. He wanted to reach out and comfort her. But he couldn't, last night when she had been mostly unaware and sick had been one thing. Today in the broad light, his relationship with Max had returned to nearly its previous state of friendly enemies. They stood on two sides of a fence. He cleared his throat audibly.

Max was snapped out of her past by the sound and looked at Normal. He held her gaze for a few moments. Let her see what he couldn't say because it would change things too much if they connected out loud. Max nodded and a small smile touched her lips in appreciation. "We cool?" She asked rhetorically.

Normal smiled. "Yeah. Get out of here." Max stood and headed for the door, as she walked out she heard him call after her. "Oh and I expect to see you half an hour early on Monday to make up for all the time you've been missing lately!"

A full grin spread across Max's face as she turned to close the door. "Bite me." She closed the door behind her leaving Normal sitting in his kitchen with a small smile on his face, comforted by reality returning to normal.

THE END.

Please review! This was really hard to write!


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